Into the Darkness
by Pippin06
Summary: *Rating hasn't kicked in yet and it's for Language... maybe other stuff later* This is a tale of Hermione Granger and what happens when you are betrayed, tortured and left lonely. Draco comes in later. PLEASE R&R, if you want!


**DISCLAIMER! - **All characters related to Harry Potter that are mentioned in this story belong and are owned by J.K.Rowling, Bloomsbury and Warner Bros. All related spells, names and anything remotely related to Harry Potter and the books, belong to J.K.Rowling, Bloomsbury and Warner Bros. I do not own characters except for new ones that come into account later. 

**Rating - **PG-13 to R 

**Author - **Pippin 

**E-mail - **pip_star_6@hotmail.com E-mail me if there are any problems or questions. 

**Credits - **I would like to credit my two best buddies! Jessi and Belinda for reading my Prologue and giving me suggestions on the story and where it should be heading. Thanks to Belinda for 1.) Being there! 2.) Reading my story even when your tired from work! 3.) Giving me the best ideas for my story for later on! Thanks to Jessi for 1.) Being there! 2.) Reading my story when you really didn't have to! 3.) FOR EDITING MY STORY!! ^_^ 

Just so everyone knows, the finish product, which is the Prologue your just about to read, is edited by Jessi and full Thank-you's go out to her! All GREAT story ideas go to Belinda!! ****

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**Summary - **It has been four years since the famous Gryffindor Trio have graduated and entered the Real Wizarding World. It has been quite some time since the infamous Lord Voldemort has last attacked the Magical and Non-Magical World but it all seems too odd and it may seem as the Dark Lord of the Ages, is finally conquered but a new one is on the rise. This is the story of Dark Times... now come with me and enter... _Into the Darkness._

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__**A/N - **Hey everyone!! I'm back again! ^_^ he he. Well, yes I'm back and obviously with a new story... A new couple... ;D And a new plot line! lol! I'm not exactly where this story is going yet but I DO have SOME idea!! Which is lucky! I talked it over with my friend and she will be helping me decide what happens in this story... not everything though! I'm not promising a "Masterpiece" and I'm already glad that you've actually chosen to check my story out any ways... that's if, any one is checking this story out! Well, enough blabbing and on with the story!! Please leave a Review or Flame if you like... It's your choice! Hope you enjoy the first part!! Well Prologue!****

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Into the Darkness

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Prologue - The Beginning of the Dark 

It was a sunny day at number 24 Tarlick Drive. The sun was shinning brightly in the clear blue sky that was filled with white goodness of clouds. Everyone in the street was out of the house enjoying the sun and bathing about in its light, for it had been quite some time before they ever saw the sun shinning brightly and cheery smiles were placed on everyone's faces. Both young and old pupils of Carnelia Willow stepped out of their homes in broad daylight for the first time in months. It had been raining lately. No, raining wasn't the word that described it. It was pelting down with rain and hail stones as big as golf balls. The sky had been covered and smeared in a dark black charcoal colour that brought frowns to young children everywhere in the area. Maybe even within the next few towns. No one knows exactly how and what caused the sky to open up and punish the Earth but maybe the battle of the Light and Dark sides was a possible explanation. 

Maybe the sky was crying for the residents that occupied the plains of the rough surface called the Earth. Maybe it was some sign of the end. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe So many maybes but no indication of a real explanation. No one knew; no one wanted to know, not on a day like this. It was too sunny, too bright, and too happy for any one to give a thought about the abrupt stop of all the raining days and nights. It was time to relish. Time to sing. Time to enjoy the Earth at its fullest and today seemed the perfect day of all the days that had lead up to now. Nothing could go wrong, not on a day like this. Not when everyone was outside enjoying the comfort of the sun or the warm glow that it radiated. There was only one person who stayed within the confines of their small brick home on this day it was a young female, only twenty-one years of age. 

The young girl sat on her bed. Her soft brown hair pulled from her face and into a small round object of a light blue colour; one that could rival the sky's on a day like today. She sat stilled by all motions except for breathing, even though she did believe that breathing was also an action she should stop straight away. Her figure was small and fragile. She was not weak but not strong either. Her hands sat unsteadily in her lap, where they wrung a white soft tissue between in their mini battlefield of emotions. Her eyes big and round, they were focused on a small spot on her dark coloured carpet. Her eyes stung badly from holding back tears that had yearning to be freed for such a long time. Her teeth scraped her bottom lip over and over again, never actually biting down forcefully not yet any way. 

A sound of sniffling filled the quiet room and it was easy to tell that the young female, even on a sunny day like this, was very upset. Finally letting all her emotions free, a lone tear shot out of her left eye and made the long journey down the left side of her face. All of her emotions poured out into this one tear. There would be plenty more tears to come after this one but for now, only one was set free, only one would show the pain of the news that had filled her ears and broken her heart into a million pieces. Only one would do for the time being. 

Finally a louder sound snapped her attention away. She gazed at her bedroom door longingly, knowing she should answer the front door but not having the heart or the power to get up and bring her hand to the door to open and let the stranger in. Still staring at the door she realises her name is being called but she can't bring herself to get up. She keeps sitting there, like a rag doll on display, and watches the door, waiting for someone to come in and rescue her from her misery, someone who will tell her it was all one big joke, but how could one do this if one cannot enter her house? She sighs deeply and even though her sorrowful tears are held back painfully, she keeps them that way. Sucking in a big, deep breath of air, she raises from her position of twenty minutes to finally answer the door with the knocking and yelling becoming louder all the time. 

She took a step forward but came to a sudden halt as her legs gave way and she fell heavily onto her knees. Her eyes, still glued onto the door, looking for answers for comfort. She starts rocking forward and back to bring her some peace of mind but the knocking and yelling grows louder. Feeling frustrated with herself and the world; she lets out a scream. A blood curdling scream to let the world know of her pain and her loss. Letting her tears free to stream down her rosy red cheeks and splatter all over her long white skirt, making a puddle for her pain and for her sorrow to drown in. Now her rocking becomes less significant and sluggish. Her hand holding the material of her top tightly in its grasp, never wanting to let go, too afraid of loosing grip and falling off. She lets out another terrifying scream and her lungs long for fresh air. Wanting to be freed from the pain that has filled her heart deeply. Her cries come out with no sense of rhythm. 

She slowly begins to choke on her tears and lack of air. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she wishes that this was all some horrible dream and that the news she had heard wasn't true all of it. She squeezes her eyes even tighter and gives more strength to her hand to grip the fabric of her shirt more firmly in her small hands. From the outside and to everyone who had stopped their activities in the sunlight of her street, it sounded like she was being strangled. Being killed slowly and painfully. Small kids everywhere ran inside their houses, afraid of the outside where it had only been a few minutes since they had started to playing in the hot August air, only a few minutes without any sign of rain, but that's how it happened last time. The parents fled after their children, looking at the small brick home awkwardly. 

The screaming continued, getting considerably louder with each cry of pain. The young female, having finally lost her hope in shielding herself from the awful truth and the previous events that she heard that day, opened her eyes, only now wishing to be a young girl wrapped up in her Mothers comforting arms and not in a small brick home crying her heart out and letting the entire neighbourhood know it. She would tell the world if she was able but that just couldn't happen. Even though her eyes were stinging from the tears that had been held back for quite some time, she saw a person open the door and the suns' light flooding in. She closes her eyes and squeezes more of the salty substance out of her eyes to get a better view, but when she opens them, her world blacks out. Finally, her mind on overdrive took its toll and made her plummet down to the hard surface of some place cold and her world turns sinister. Everything turns into Darkness. Before her ears turned out and her mind shut down, she realised that she is finally going _Into the Darkness._

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She was in a field. A field filled with glorious and large blooming flowers. Red, blue, yellow, pink and purple colours scattered across the green plains of a large field. The air was warm and the sun shone brightly in the light blue background. She scanned the area for any life forms and saw only birds and various animals on the outskirts of the large plain. She saw tall trees cover the edge, as if it were warning her against its dangers, protecting her in some odd way. Looking back around at the flowers, she heard the wind hum a nice soft lullaby. Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes and then snapped them open to feel the warm rays touch her skin and warm her insides. 

She started to walk through the field only to notice that she was walking barefoot. The ground was soft beneath her feet, the soil rich and soft. Walking around she felt safe and secured, until dark heavy rain clouds came into view. She watched as the clouds moved in to the right of where she was standing. These clouds were dark and threatening and they scared the white fluffy clouds away. Her eyes moved back and forth watching as the white clouds moved away and the dark almost black clouds moved in on the area that the white clouds once owned and covered. With the light blue colour slowly vanishing from her view, she frowned and wanted to stomp her foot really hard into the ground but that would be what a young child of five would do. Her features darkened as she watched the black clouds come half way in her view. Feeling frustrated she began to yell. 

"NO! STOP! I don't want it to rain!" she cried with all her might, "NO!" 

She cried it over and over again but the dark rain clouds paid no attention whatsoever to her. They kept moving along and soon the light blue sky could no longer be seen. Feeling wells of tears sting at the back of her eyes, she turned her head away. Looking at the once blooming flowers, she noticed how they cowered and moved away from the dark clouds, searching for their ray of light but only to find that it had disappeared. A few flowers here and there curled up, hiding away. Soon raindrops started to come down, soft at first. 

There was a distant howl and she turned her head to look at the forest that the tall trees inhabited. She watched as birds flew from the trees, fleeing their homes to find a safer place. The tears in her eyes stung extremely and began rolling down her cheeks although she held most of them back. The rain started to hit her and she shivered slightly from the contact of the cold raindrops to the once warm sun. She knew it was raining down on her before but she never really felt it. Suddenly, thunder was heard and a strike of lightening lit the sky in a white shade. She watched as the clouds became very dark in the middle of the cloud whilst a dark grey, almost black, outlined the shape. Rolls of thunder were heard and lightening was striking. 

"No! Stop please," she whispered desperately to the wind. 

The wind seemed to ignore her and gave a huge howl. Letting out a yelp of shock, she studied her surroundings yet again. The treetops swayed to and fro, the leaves rattling wildly from the wind. Her hair flew about her face. She hugged her arms closer to her body and squinted her eyes to protect them from the harsh blow the wind was sending at her. Looking up above, the rolls of thunder continued along with the lightening striking places deep within the forest. Letting out a scream, she heard her name and her small world with the thundering clouds, vanished from her sight. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she saw darkness yet again. 

She heard her name being called and people talking about her, all around her. 

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"Hermione?" someone's soft calming voice called, "Hermione can you hear me sweetie?" 

Hermione turned her head to the side and let out a sigh, her eyes still firmly shut. 

"She can hear us otherwise she wouldn't have moved," someone from her left said. 

"Yeah that's true. I do hope my little pumpkin is all right," a deep male voice said from her right and Hermione could feel her hand being squeezed tightly. 

"The girl needs some rest. Just let her be for a while, she'll come around," someone very official stated and Hermione could hear a thump somewhere to her right. 

"Of course but how do you explain her calling out like that? She's even shaking!" someone said in a sort of shriek and Hermione knew that was her Mother speaking as hair was being moved about from her forehead. She seemed to be very sensitive to her surroundings and what was happening. 

"Yeah," another voice within the room called. That was her fiancé, Ronald Weasley. He sounded miserable and troubled, "Is it normal for someone to do that? I mean I was only coming to visit her, to see how she handled the news that I too received this morning along with very few others. I came and I knocked but she wasn't answering. Everything seemed normal until I heard her scream and I didn't know what to do. I was so scared that something terribly wrong was happening and I couldn't do a thing to prevent it," Ron said quite sadly. 

Hermione flinched hearing the words said by him. They were really cutting her deeply. He thought he couldn't do anything to save her if something bad was actually happening. 

"Look! She moved!" her Mother called out. 

"Dear, drop your voice a few levels! I don't think she would like us yelling in her ear," her Father whispered hoarsely. 

Hermione moved about until she found a more comfortable spot. Then a thought popped into her head, _how did her parents get here? _but she didn't have the energy to bring herself to wake up and ask them. All the energy she had that day had drained out when she was crying. Then the news came flooding back into her mind. Making a sniffling sound and a soft cry, Hermione fell back into darkness. 

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"I think she just fell back to sleep," the MediWitch noted as she moved about changing the water jug. 

"Oh, my poor baby," Hermione's Mother cooed as she kept sweeping her fingers across her daughters face, "the news really got to her." 

"It got to her more than it got to me," Ron whispered softly as he went over to stand by her left side and holding her hand. He rubbed her fingers into his palms, trying to gain as much warmth and feeling into them as possible. 

"Here, take a seat Mr. Weasley. This will take some time and if you're certain you want to be around when she wakes, you need your rest as well," the MediWitch said taking a chair and placing it on the left side of Hermione's queen bed. 

"Your right," Ron said taking a seat, his fiancé's hand still held between his fingers, "She feels so cold." 

"Her body is still in mild shock, she will need some time before returning to her normal body heat," the MediWitch answered moving about in Hermione's bedroom, "I think it will be wise if you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger got some rest so when your daughter wakes, you'll be able to talk to her. It will be some time before she comes around." 

"If you think that would be best, of course. Anything we can do to help, please, don't hesitate to let us know," Mr. Granger moved from the door he was stationed near to stand by his daughters side, "You hang in there sweetie and everything will be fine. Ron is staying and your Mother and I will come back first thing tomorrow, promise," he said as he leaned over his wife to give his daughter a kiss on the forehead. He moved some strands of her brown hair and ran a finger down her cheek, "I love you. Come on dear, we better get going. The MediWitch already said it would be best to come back later, after we've had some rest." 

"Oh, David! I don't want to leave her! My poor baby," Mrs. Granger said as some tears slid down her pale cheeks. She was rubbing her daughters hand warmly in her hands as she rubbed her face into the side of her body, "Oh!" 

"Come on Delilah, our daughter needs rest," David Granger said as he tried to soothe his wife, and get her out of her chair. 

"David! My child! She is out cold to the world and what will happen if she wakes and we're not here?" she said as her head whipped up from where it lay to face her husbands face. 

"Ron will be here! Remember _he_ is _her_ fiancé," David said gesturing to Ron. 

"Look, Mrs. Granger, she will be fine and if she wakes before tomorrow, I'll come and get you," Ron offered as he looked from Hermione's face to her Mothers'. 

"You will Ron dear?" Delilah asked. 

"Of course," Ron said as he nodded his head once. 

Delilah Granger sniffled. Her daughter looked like she wasn't going to wake up soon and it was true, if she wanted to talk to her daughter, she'd have to have some rest. 

"Oh all right then. Come on David," Delilah said as she stood up. She leaned over and kissed both cheeks and her forehead. Her fingers brushed over her cheeks for one last time before she spoke, "I love you Hermione. You come back to us when you're ready." 

David and Delilah moved from their daughters' bedside with a last longing glance and then a quick nod to Ron before they left her room. 

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"Mr. Weasley, I'll be downstairs if you need me. I'll be staying on the couch if that's all right seeing that _you_ did not _want_ to bring her to the Medical Clinic," the Medi-Witch said indignantly as she lifted her nose in the air and left the room, closing the door quietly. 

Ronald Weasley sat by his fiancés' side with one candle burning in Hermione's room. The room was only lightly lit and shadows were playing across Hermione's face. Her head moved a bit and Ron's eyes snapped to her figure after staring at a spot on the wall. He squeezed her hand tightly to comfort her. To tell her he was by her side. 

"I'm here Hermione. I love you so much. I know it's hard with all the news and all but," Ron paused. He didn't know how to continue, "Oh Hermione! I don't know what to do any more!" 

Ron buried his head in Hermione's side, seeking comfort no matter how small it was seeing she was asleep. Yes this was a day he'd never forget. No one would forget this day. Especially not in the Wizarding World although not everyone did know but there was very few who were told. The only ones that were told were Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and the Weasley family, Hermione and her Mother and Father. Of course they only found out after Hermione went into shock after she had heard this news. It really was hard and rough the way they all found out. They all wept and today was definitely the worst day for the Wizarding World and it was going to stay with only these few people knowing until the Ministry had determined what exactly had happened, this was to keep the public from panicking when they were not completely sure of what had taken place. Ron ran his manly fingers through his ruffled hair and placed them back over Hermione's hand. After sitting by his fiancé's side for quite some time, Ron fell into a deep slumber. 

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"Ron! Ron!" Ron's youngest sibling and only sister called out. 

"What is it Ginny?" Ron called from the backyard after checking on something for his Dad. 

"Ron get-get in here! NOW!" Virginia Weasley yelled followed by a very soft cry. And then more sobs from inside the Weasley house. 

_What on Earth is happening? What is everyone going on about and what is Ginny so upset about?_

__Ron entered through the back door to be confronted by a sobbing Ginny, hysterical Molly Weasley, along with pained and long faces from his twin brothers, Fred and George, his older brother, Percy and his Dad. 

"What is going on? Mum? Gin? Fred? George?" Ron asked as he turned from each sad face to the next, "Percy? DAD? Will one of you please tell me what in the world is going on?" 

Ron watched as his Mum turned with her tear stained face as she tried to speak. 

"Ron dear, something happened, something terribly sad and appalling. I just-just don't know how to tell-tell you dear," his Mum stuttered and Ron knew from then on, it was serious, whatever it was because his Mum hardly ever stuttered and the only times she did were when she was nervous but she did try again, "Ron, oh! Ron dear" 

The sentence was left in the air and Ron became fidgety as he supported himself one foot then the other. 

"Please, will one of you tell me?" Ron pleaded as he turned slowly to each gloomy face. 

"Ron it's -" Ron didn't get to hear the end of the sentence seeing that something had jerked him back to his senses. It was a soft, weak voice breaking his thoughts and the memory of how he had found out about the news. 

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"Ron" Hermione coughed out, "Ron. Are you awake?" 

More coughs and sniffs were heard from the bed as Hermione gently shook her fiancés shoulder to wake him up. Hermione looked around and found that she was lying snug and warm in between the sheets of her bed. She sat up and leaned forward while she shuffled the pillows to cushion her up. She prop herself back down continuing to shake Ron awake. 

"Come on Ron, wake up, I need you," Hermione whispered and that did it. 

Ron slowly opened his eyes, his vision very blurry. He sat up, gave a little jump and then looked at his surroundings. He was in Hermione's bedroom. He turned his gaze to the figure lying in the bed. Her face was very pale. She looked weak and he knew exactly why. Her lips were a pale red colour and her eyes were big and round. There was a sheet of water just covering them, making them glisten in the dim candlelight. 

"Hermione, you're awake!" Ron cried as he got up and hugged her. He hugged her gently, making sure he wasn't going to crush her between his arms. 

"Yes I am and how did I get here?" Hermione asked as she squeezed Ron tightly. 

"Oh Hermione! I don't know what to do!" Ron cried out, ignoring her question for now. 

"I don't know either Ron we'll have to face it we'll all have to face it," Hermione said soothingly as she rubbed Ron's back. She kissed his forehead, smoothing out his untidy hair, "We'll have to take it one day at a time. Everyone is soon going to know and then how will we deal with it? If we can't now just knowing so little then think about how the rest of the Wizarding World is going to react. I mean we have to be strong, all of us. We have to stand as one," even though Hermione didn't know if she believed what she was saying, she thought that it might bring some comfort to Ron. It was obvious why Ron couldn't handle it, but unless he tried, Hermione would have to be the sensible one, which would be the exact opposite of her reaction earlier that day. With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and a tear ran down her cold cheek, onto Ron's' hand. She hears sniffling and realises that it is Ron. He was upset but then again you would be too if your best friend in the world died just yesterday and you only were only finding out now. The _Boy Who Lived_ is now forever gone. Gone from our reach and out of touch. The Great Harry Potter had died yesterday. This is the beginning of the Darkness. Everyone must now step _Into the Darkness_ or _perish._

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A/N - Hey everyone... well that was the end of my Prologue!! I do hope you enjoyed it!! I enjoyed writing it... not the Harry Potter part being dead and all. I didn't like it but it fits with my story line and the plot. Trust me with this... I know you's don't know me and I don't know you... but I'm asking for some trust on where this story is going and before you all go hating me for killing Harry off, just wait and read the story to find out exactly why and everything. I make everything clear in the Chapters to come but for now, I have to make the Prologue like this so it's interesting! Also this ficcy isn't going to be a "fairy-tale" ending with "happily ever after"'s and stuff like that. It's going to be dark.. (hopefully)... It needs to be dark to make a big effect. Now your probably wondering... Why is it in the Romance section? Well, just wait, read and find out! ^_~ Sorry, I'm not going to give anything else away... just please, give this story a chance! Okay I've spoke too much and I doubt any one read that! lol. Oh well... *pouts* Bye everyone! Chapter One up soon hopefully! 

Thanks so much for even considering to read me story! 

~*~ Pippin ~*~ 


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